The Dark Side of LeadershipThe Dark Side of Leadership

Tong Ka Io

2010.06

Contemporary leadership

The bright side• Shift worldwide from a

preference for heroic types of leadership styles to a more subtle type

The dark side• Many dysfunctional leaders

still exist in larger organizations

• They make the lives of those who report to them or have to work with them miserable on a daily basis

Heroic leaders Servant leaders

Toxic leaders

• Leaders who take part in destructive behaviors and show signs of dysfunctional personal characteristics

Pathology of toxic leaders

毒性領導的病理學

Unmet needs 未滿足需要

Leaders領導

Toxic leaders毒性領導

Psychology of toxic leaders

毒性領導的心理學

Visible traits of toxic leaders毒性領導的可見特徵

• Incompetence 無能• Malfunctioning 失靈• Maladjusted 失調• Sense of inadequacy 不足感• Malcontent 不滿• Irresponsible 不負責任• Amoral 不道德• Cowardice 怯懦• Insatiable ambition 無厭野心

• Egotism 自我中心• Arrogance 傲慢• Selfish values 自私價值• Avarice and greed 貪婪• Lack of integrity 不正直• Deception 欺騙• Malevolent 惡毒• Malicious 惡行• Malfeasance 瀆職

Toxic leaders in organization

• Are not well liked and certainly not respected or trusted

• Get the position by using others, by being dishonest or by fooling people with good impression management

• As progress up the hierarchy, the behavior usually gets worse rather than better

• Believe that the normal rules and policies of the organization do not apply to them

• Cannot make the distinction between what belongs to them personally and what belongs to the organization

Types of toxic leaders毒性領導類別

Absentee leader 缺位領導 Intemperate leader 荒唐領導

Incompetent leader 無能領導 Enforcer leader 執行領導

Codependent leader 共同依賴領導 Narcissistic leader 自戀領導

Passive-aggressive leader 消極攻擊領導 Callous leader 冷酷領導

Busybody leader 愛管閑事領導 Street fighter leader 街頭戰士領導

Paranoid leader 偏執領導 Corrupt leader 腐敗領導

Rigid leader 僵化領導 Insular leader 狹隘領導

Controller leader 控制領導 Bully leader 惡棍領導

Compulsive leader 強迫領導 Evil leader 邪惡領導

5 common dysfunctional Leader Types

五種常見的失靈領導型態

Compulsive Leader 強迫型領導• At heart 內心

– Pursues perfection to an extreme both in personal and organizational life

– 在個人和組織生活中追求完美至極端程度

– Feels the need to maintain absolute control

– 感覺需要維持絕對控制– Represses angry and

resentful feelings – 壓抑憤怒和不滿感受

Moses

Visible traits 可見的特徵• Usually is a workaholic • 常是工作狂• Sees the organization’s performance as a direct reflection

of his or her own person and performance • 將組織績效視為個人績效的直接反映• Looks for reassurance and approval from those in authority • 希望得到在權位者的認可• Seeks to control activities and keep order • 設法控制行動和保持秩序• Has sudden outbursts of repressed anger • 被抑壓的憤怒的突然爆發

Narcissistic Leader 自戀型領導• At heart 內心– Are self-absorbed– 只關心自己– See the world revolving

around themselves– 認為世界以他們為中心– Are full of self-doubt and

inferiority– 充滿自我懷疑和自卑

Solomon

Visible traits 可見的特徵• Have an overinflated view of their own importance• 自視過高• Are exhibitionistic• 好出風頭• Desire to be great, but are unable to take pleasure in their

accomplishments• 想要成功，但無法因自己的成就而感到快樂• Try to overcome self-doubt with bigger projects• 試圖以更大的項目去克服自我懷疑• Mistreat, manipulate and exploit others for his/her own image• 為自己的形象而虐待、操縱和利用他人• Are unable to recognize others performance• 無能力去承認他人的表現

Paranoid Leader 偏執型領導• At heart 內心

– Are completely insecure about themselves and their skills

– 對自己和自己能力感到完全不安全

– Are afraid that anyone or anything (real or otherwise) will undermine their leadership or grab their limelight

– 害怕任何人或任何事物( 真實或不真實的 ) 會破壞他們的領導或搶去他們的風頭

King Saul

• Are usually suspicious, hostile, hypersensitive, and secretive• 常是多疑、敵意、過敏和隱秘的• Are pathologically jealous of gifted people• 病態地妒忌有天賦的人• Have difficulty maintaining close relationships• 難以與人維持親密的關係• Do not tolerate any variety of criticism• 不會容忍任何批評• Keep close tabs on those around him• 嚴密監控周圍的人• Hold tight control onto power and public roles for fear that the

other person might do a better job • 為怕有人做得更好，緊緊地控制權力和公眾角色

Visible traits 可見的特徵

Codependent Leader 共同依賴型領導

• At heart 內心– Have trouble giving full,

honest expression to emotions or problems

– 難以完全和誠實地表達情緒或問題

– Worry obsessively about the feelings of others

– 執著地擔心他人的感受

Samson

• Are repressed and frustrated• 是壓抑和沮喪的• Seek to keep peace and cover up problems, rather than

face them• 企圖維持和平和掩蓋問題而不予面對• Have difficulty confronting others• 難以與他人對抗• Take personal responsibility for followers’ substandard

performance and make no attempt to correct it for fear of hurting their feelings

• 為下屬表現欠佳承擔責任但並不試圖改變以免傷害下屬感受

Visible traits 可見的特徵

Passive-Aggressive Leader 消極攻擊型領導

• At heart 內心– Have an intense fear of

failure 強烈恐懼失敗– Are also afraid of success

since success would raise expectations for the future 也害怕成功，因成功會提升對未來的期望

Jonah

• Resist demands to perform tasks well • 抗拒做好工作• Have difficulty setting goals and implementing plans• 難以設定目標和執行計劃• Tend to complain and demoralize others• 抱怨和降低他人的士氣• Procrastination, dawdling, stubbornness, forgetfulness and

intentional inefficiency• 拖延、磨蹭、固執、善忘和故意的無效率• Have a sudden outburst of anger or frustration and then

immediately be regretful• 突然爆發憤怒或沮喪但隨即後悔

Visible traits 可見的特徵

Annex A

Detail descriptions of toxic leaders

Types of toxic leaders毒性領導類別

Absentee leader 缺位領導 Intemperate leader 荒唐領導

Incompetent leader 無能領導 Enforcer leader 執行領導

Codependent leader 共同依賴領導 Narcissistic leader 自戀領導

Passive-aggressive leader 消極攻擊領導 Callous leader 冷酷領導

Busybody leader 愛管閑事領導 Street fighter leader 街頭戰士領導

Paranoid leader 偏執領導 Corrupt leader 腐敗領導

Rigid leader 僵化領導 Insular leader 狹隘領導

Controller leader 控制領導 Bully leader 惡棍領導

Compulsive leader 強迫領導 Evil leader 邪惡領導

The Absentee Leader 缺位領導• The absentee leader is detached from the organization and the people he

is charged with leading. He is only involved in the decision making, future planning, and program executing because of his physical presence in the organization.

• He seems to be mindless because his mind is only on himself and obtaining the approval of others for himself. His absenteeism creates “chaos and malaise from the turmoil and infighting perpetrated by underlings who are malevolent and who sense a leadership vacuum.”

• When all is said and done, followers want leaders; they want to be lead. If the leader is disengaged or absent, the followers find themselves in a state of disorder and confusion with little hope of a vision for a way out of the mayhem.

The Incompetent Leader 無能領導

• Aside from possessing the fundamental characteristic of incompetence, the incompetent leader also lacks the will to sustain effective action within the organization.

• He may be incompetent due to a lack of skill, but he may also be “careless, dense, distracted, slothful or sloppy.”

• He may be unable to effectively act and react in times and situations of uncertainty and stress, and he may be unable to successfully communicate his ideas, educate his subordinates, or delegate any authority to his competent supporters.

• Followers not only want leadership, they also want competent leadership. The nonexistence of a competent leader results in a flailing organization that might only witness positive activity based on the followers actions and in spite of the leader, not because of him.

The Codependent Leader 共同依賴領導

• Although codependency usually brings to mind the idea of the relationship issues of a person living with, and putting up with, another person who has a dependency on a particular bad habit or vice, the codependent leader is one who brings to the table the imperfections and limitations that exist as a result of the “social system that develops around these types of relationships.”

• The codependent relationship is based on the codependent following a harsh set of rules in order to conceal the behavior of the dependent. “This results in emotional repression that creates great stress for the codependent person,” which he then takes into his leadership behavior.

• He will act and react to the followers in his organization in the very same manner as he does or did to his dependent accomplice. He will take personal responsibility for their substandard performance and make no attempt to correct it for fear of hurting their feelings.

• He will take on more work and responsibility then is rightfully his and then become very angry with the amount of work that has been pushed on him. He is a peacemaker who would rather cover up problems than face them, in an effort to balance the groups system.

• The result on the followers and the organization is distrust, uncertainty, and neglect for addressing bona fide problems, issues, and the future of the organization.

The Passive-Aggressive Leader 消極攻擊領導

• The passive-aggressive Leader has “a tendency to resist demands to adequately perform tasks.”

• He has an intense fear of failure and therefore is reluctant to deliver his best performance because it may not be up to standard and would then result in failure. If he does too well, it may mean that he will be promoted and then be expected to perform at an even higher level, which could in turn result in failure. His unwillingness to perform well equates to “procrastination, dawdling, stubbornness, forgetfulness and intentional inefficiency.”

• The passive-aggressive Leader is impetuous. He will have a sudden outburst of anger or frustration and then immediately be regretful. He will complete his task, but then be resentful for having it forced upon him.

• Followers live on pins and needles, constantly wondering when the next outburst will be and for what reason. The organizational response is resistance and aversion on the part of the followers who wish to prevent an outburst. Under such conditions positive change to the organization is near impossible.

The Busybody Leader 愛管閑事領導• The busybody leader is energetic, restless, constantly in motion and full

of unfocused vigor.• He may give full focus to one project or topic for a period and then jump

to another for no apparent reason, leaving those around him confused and in a daze. He yearns for the spotlight and must be the center of attention.

• He works long, hard hours, but it is unlikely to remain focused on any one given task. He is relentlessly “scanning, roving, pressing, talking, traveling, planning, plotting, giving speeches, cajoling, joking, flattering, and working –always working,” or at least making a grand performance of working.

• The busybody leader is manipulative and firmly establishes himself as the center of information flow in order to further manipulate those around him. He will “fail to make decisions that resolve conflicts among subordinates, assuring that the flow of complaints and information about conflicts and therefore attention received will be continuous.”

• His manipulation, unfocused energy and persistent movement leave the organization bewildered and unclear about where the focus is or should be.

The Paranoid Leader 偏執領導• The paranoid leader may be brilliant, of mediocre intelligence, or somewhere in

between. He is convinced others are trying to chip away at him, his performance, his leadership, and ultimately his achievements. Regardless of his brilliance or lack thereof, he is completely insecure about himself and his skills, and is “pathologically jealous of other gifted people.”

• He will not tolerate any variety of criticism, because he views it as a personal attack; an attempt to undermine him and his authority. He will become hostile toward anyone who he perceives is attempting to undermine him. Despite how innocent or genuine a remark or action might be, the paranoid leader assumes there are hidden intentions behind it.

• This fear and paranoia drive him to seek total control of everything that takes place in the organization. “Excessive staff meetings and reporting are often the result of this need to keep close tabs on those around him.”

• If someone else attempts to exert control, or appears to be attempting to control any part of organizational activity, he will deal harshly with the individual. In time, followers will learn to be very passive and keep all comments, opinions and observations unto themselves. This passivity, along with jealousy and hostility, foster an organization full of fear, anxiety, and trepidation. The only initiative exercised in such an organization is that which the paranoid leader can force through by himself.

The Rigid Leader 僵化領導• The rigid leader is “stiff and unyielding” and is “unable or unwilling to

adapt to new ideas, new information, or changing times.”• As one might expect, rigidness may very well have its place in leadership

as determination or steadfastness of purpose, but in the current age of constant change, flexibility has the overwhelming edge over rigidity.

• The rigid leader is convinced that he is right and that he is the only one who is right.

• He is therefore loath to entertain any other opinions. He will surround himself only with followers who think as he does, so that he does not have to be confronted by conflicting or dissenting opinions.

• As long as the followers in the organization think as he does, conform to his ideas and visions, and do not disagree with or dispute anything in which the rigid leader believes, they will work well in his reign.

• The serious consequence is that the organization will become stagnant, inflexible and nonproductive due to the absence of change.

The Controller Leader 控制領導• Very similar to the rigid leader, the controller leader takes rigidness one step

further. • This is a perfectionist who craves certainty and surety. “The only way controllers

feel they can achieve the certainty and surety they need is to make decisions themselves.”

• While the rigid leader will surround himself with like-thinkers and delegate certain authorities to those who agree with him, the controller leader cannot and does not delegate.

• He will be intimately involved in every decision, big or small. • The controller leader is process-oriented, and while he does not have a grasp of

vision and the future of the organization, he is extraordinarily preoccupied with processes related to the conduct of daily operations.

• He is “disdainful of people who are not excited by or involved in the implementation of ‘efficiency incurring’ processes to make everything neatly identified and hierarchical.”

• Because of the controller leader’s rigidity and perfectionism, his followers suffer personal angst and fear because they have no input to the process or outcomes.

• The skilled, intelligent followers are stifled, while others merely go through the daily motions; all are micromanaged, again leading to absence of positive change.

The Compulsive Leader 強迫管理• The compulsive leader possesses traits of the rigid leader and the

controller leader with a twist. • He is similarly rigid, has the need to completely control all aspects of his

life, and “pursues perfection to an extreme,” but he also has emotional glitches of which he is probably unaware.

• He is angry, resentful, and rebellious on the inside and believes it is wrong to express his true feelings.

• His need to firmly control his own feelings results in his efforts to control everything else. However, because of the inner turmoil, “it is common for such persons’ repressed anger to be expressed in sudden and violent outbursts.”

• The outbursts and violent behavior contribute to an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among followers.

The Intemperate Leader 荒唐管理• The intemperate leader “lacks self-control.” • He is unable to abstain from overindulgences and incapable of

cautiousness when he overindulges. • The excesses may be simple or complex, but are most always morally

questionable. If the intemperance is private in nature there may be limited organizational consequences, but these overindulgences rarely stay private.

• When they become public, they also become distractions. “When the behavior is more egregious and enduring, as in substance abuse, it is destructive.

• Self-control can be viewed as a personal commitment to oneself. • Thus a lack of self-control raises questions of morality. If the intemperate

leader cannot uphold a personal commitment to himself, his followers realize that his commitment to them and the organization is of little value.

• The followers become distrustful, disillusioned and cynical, and the organization ceases to be productive.

The Enforcer Leader 執行領導• The enforcer leader is “subservient and often second-in-command.” • He follows his leader and implements the leader’s desires. If his leader is

not a toxic leader, he will be a detail oriented paper pusher, loyal to the boss, the organization, and the system.

• However, if he does work for a toxic leader, he will become quite toxic himself. He wants the approval of his boss and cares only about that approval over that of any of the followers in the organization.

• The enforcer leader may never achieve the principal position in the organization, but he will be “instrumental to the success of others” and the others in question are more often toxic than not toxic leaders.

• A responsible, non-toxic superior will probably recognize the enforcer leader and remove him from the organization. The enforcer leader’s impact on an organization is doubly damaging because his behavior has enhanced and multiplied that of the primary toxic leader.

The Narcissistic Leader 自戀領導• For the narcissistic leader “the world revolves on the axis of self” and is

“driven to succeed by a need for admiration and acclaim.” • Although self-absorbed, he lacks self esteem. Although deeply ambitious,

he feels inferior. Although he desires to be great, he is unable to take pleasure in his accomplishments because he wants more.

• His lack of self esteem, feelings of inferiority, and inability to value his own successes result in mistreatment, manipulation, and exploitation of others—all for the sake of his own self worth.

• The narcissistic leader is so confident that he is the best and only one who can do the things he does, he is unable to recognize that others are capable of performing to his standard. He leaves his followers feeling inferior and doubtful of themselves. He leaves the organization longing for recognition.

The Callous Leader 冷酷領導• The callous leader is “uncaring and unkind and dismissive of others’

needs, wants and wishes.” • He lacks empathy or concern for his followers and has no desire to hear

what they may have to say. • Because of his lack of sensitivity to, and consideration for, his followers,

he tends to be exceedingly harsh and inflexible. • He is arrogant, patronizing, unpleasant, abrasive, selfish, and often hot-

tempered. • His demands are not only unrealistic, but delivered in a near abusive

manner. • Perhaps the most distasteful aspect of the callous leader is that at his

core, he enjoys the reputation of being harsh and abusive. • He takes pride and pleasure knowing that his followers fear and cower

before him. His effect on his followers is a degraded self-image and diminished morale.

The Street Fighter Leader 街頭戰士領導

• Perhaps alluring, the street fighter leader is egotistical, yet charming, and he maintains a “competitive vision of winning at all cost.”

• He is good to those who are loyal to him and can help him with his “wins,” but he can be brutal to those who disagree with him or offer a dissenting opinion. He tends to build gangs of supporters and then uses the gangs to fight the battles that he feels he must win. Accordingly, if there are dissenters in the organization, they will be ostracized from the gang and duly punished. He will define himself by how much he wins and how big his empire grows. At the root of his egotism and competitive nature is his unyielding need to be the one in charge. This “unwavering need to be dominant produces power struggles when challenged.”

• The street fighter leader has a strong sense of inadequacy and inferiority which drives him to prove himself to all of those who he sees as superior to him. Although the street fighter leader might be productive leader who achieves short term goals, it is at the cost of a cooperative and open organization where varying ideas can be exchanged. It is his “unwavering belief that he is right, and that support for him is right for the organization, that allows this toxic leader to attract and manipulate organizational gang members.” Ultimately this risks destroying the moral of the organization.

The Corrupt Leader 腐敗領導• Power and greed motivate the corrupt leader. He will lie, cheat, or steal

to feed his need for power and money.• The lying usually feeds the need for power, while the cheating and

stealing feed the need for money. It is clear to the followers that the corrupt leader will put his own needs and desires ahead of theirs.

• It is a matter of self-absorption similar to that of the narcissistic leader and reminiscent of the ignoring of the needs of others as characterized by the callous leader.

• The corrupt leader steps further into the immoral, unethical, and often illegal realm. Eventually the corrupt leader is found in a labyrinth of deceit.

• Whether it is for power or money, the corrupt leader cannot be trusted, and when subordinates and followers know this, the organization suffers.

The Insular Leader 狹隘領導• While those in the inner circle of the insular leader may not suffer directly

from his actions, there is a cost to others. The insular leader separates himself and his organization from everyone else and then utterly disregards the health and welfare of those not in his organization.

• To the insular leader, “human rights in general are less important than the rights, and even the needs and wants” of his or his followers.

• It might otherwise be commendable that the insular leader feels so strongly and will go to such lengths for his followers, but the cost is high to those outside of his following. Insular leadership may be observed primarily in the political arena where national boundaries are apparent and leaders may have a tendency to protect their own constituents above all else.

The Bully Leader 惡棍領導• The bully leader is pugnacious, bitter, intensely angry at the world and vehemently

jealous of others who outperform him. • The bully leader has needs: to put others down, to invalidate others, and to devastate

others. In addition to taking pleasure in his abusive behavior akin to that of the callous leader, for the bully leader “hurting others is the main goal.”

• He will invalidate others in order to validate himself, and he will boast about his contributions whether valid or not. He appears to be confident in himself and his abilities, but in reality he is terribly fearful that others will find out how incompetent he is.

• The bully leader is prone to ranting and outbursts, particularly when such actions may degrade and humiliate someone. In his mind, this makes him appear to be powerful and in charge. He will make threats and instill fear in others in order to establish an environment that gives him the advantage. If people fear him, he will have more control.

• However, the bully leader is secretly a coward and will back down when seriously challenged. He will then linger in anticipation of the right time to exact his revenge on the challenger.

• The bully leader is mean, pure and simple, and the influence he has on an organization and his followers is nothing less than devastating. His goal is to hurt others, and he does exactly that. The positive side of the bully leader is that he will probably not last. His bitterness, anger and vindictiveness make it difficult for even close associates to continue their support.

• Such leaders have a lasting effect on those they brutalize, even after departure.

The Evil Leader 邪惡領導• When the bully leader’s brutality becomes physical to the point of

committing atrocities he becomes the evil leader.• For the most part, the evil leader is found in the political arena in the form

of an evil leader of a nation. • While a study of toxic leadership certainly invites the question of the role

of followers in creating and harboring the toxic leader, this is especially salient in the case of the evil leader.

• This “leader and at least some followers commit atrocities. They use pain as an instrument of power.”

• The evil leader must have evil followers to remain in a position of authority. There will also be “bystanders” who take on the role of followers. “The only way—the only way—such leaders can be stopped or at least slowed is by followers who are willing to take them on.”

• It will have to be the bystanders who gain strength in numbers, a collective power and are not a part of the evil followers, who must intervene.

Annex B

A corrupt official’s letter to his son

官場金科玉律：貪官給兒子的信

　　　“孩子：　　　你的来信我已收到，对你在大学里的表现，我很欣慰，你要再接再厉。

　　　既然你选择了一定要走仕途这条路，你就一定要把我下面的劝告铭记在心：

1、不要追求真理，不要探询事物的本来面目。

　　　把探索真理这这类事情让知识分子去做吧，这是他们的事情。要牢牢记住这样的信条：对自己有利的，就是正确的。实在把握不了，可简化为：上级领导提倡的就是正确的。

2、不但要学会说假话，更要善于说假话。

　　　要把说假话当成一个习惯，不，当成事业，说到自己也相信的程度。妓女和做官是最相似的职业，只不过做官出卖的是嘴。记住，做官以后你的嘴不仅仅属于你自己的，说什么要根据需要。

3、要有文凭，但不要真有知识，真有知识会害了你。

　　　有了知识你就会独立思考，而独立思考是从政的大忌。别看现在的领导都是硕士博士，那都是假的。有的人博士毕业就去应招公务员走向仕途，那是他从读书的那天起就没想研究学问，肯定不学无术。记住，真博士是永远做不了官的。

4、做官的目的是什么？是利益。

　　　要不知疲倦地攫取各种利益。有人现在把这叫腐败。你不但要明确的把攫取各种利益作为当官的目的，而且要作为唯一的目的。你的领导提拔你，是因为你能给他带来利益；你的下属服从你，是因为你能给他带来利益；你周围的同僚朋友关照你，是因为你能给他带来利益。你自己可以不要，但别人的你必须给。记住，攫取利益这个目的一模糊，你就离失败不远了。

5、必须把会做人放在首位，然后才是会做事。

　　　这里的做人做事你可别理解为德才兼备的意思。这里说的做人，就是处关系。做事是实际工作，这点会不会都无所谓。做人就是把自己作为一个点编织到上下左右的网中，成为这个网的一部分。记住，现在说谁工作能力强，一点都不是说他做事能力强，而是指做人能力强。呵呵，你看那些把能力理解为做事的人，有好日子过才怪。

6、我们的社会无论外表怎样变化，其实质都是农民社会。　　　谁迎合了农民谁就会成功。我们周围的人无论外表是什么，骨子里都是农民。农民的特点是目光短浅，注重眼前利益。所以你做事的方式方法必须具有农民特点，要搞短期效益，要鼠目寸光。一旦你把眼光放远，你就不属于这个群体了，后果可想而知。要多学习封建的那一套，比如拜个把兄弟什么的，这都不过分。

7、要相信拍马是一种高级艺术。　　　千万不要以为拍马只要豁出脸皮就行，豁得出去的女人多了，可傍上大款的或把自己卖和好价钱的是极少数，大部分还是做了低层的三陪小姐。这和拍马是一样的道理。拍马就是为了得到上级的赏识。在人治的社会里，上级的赏识是升官的唯一途径，别的都是形式，这一点不可不察。

8、所有的法律法规、政策制度都不是必须严格遵守的，确切地说，执行起来都是可以变通的。

　　　法律法规、政策制度的制订者从没想到要用这些来约束自己，而是想约束他人。但你要知道，这些不是人人都可以违反的。什么时候坚决遵守，什么时候偷偷违反，让谁违反，要审势而定，否则宽严皆误。

以上这些都是做官的原则。现在要仔细想想，如果你真能逐条做到，你就能一帆风顺，如果感觉力不从心，就马上另外选择职业吧。”